DEFINING CULTURE
11.1
107
LISTENING
6
What do/would you miss about your
culture when you are abroad?
7
11.1
Listen to six people answering
the question in Exercise 6. What does
each person miss about their culture?
8
Listen again and answer the questions.
What does:
1
Ayla say about Bahraini hospitality?
2
Ingrid say about supermarkets
in Germany?
3
Anna say about Russian friendship?
4
Danielle say about the food in
Cameroon?
5
Alessandra say about hearing her
dialect of Italian?
6
Nancy say about making arrangements
in Argentina?
9
Work in small groups. Think back to
Exercise 6. Were any of the speakers’
opinions like yours? Have the speakers
made you think of anything else which
you miss? Compare your ideas. Do you
have any things in common which you
would miss?
SPEAKING
The word ‘culture’ has a number of meanings, but in its widest
sense it refers to everything that makes up the identity of a
particular group of people, society or nation.
1 – the general terrain and physical features such as
mountains, rivers, proximity to the sea, whether there is a coastline
2 – weather condiƟons in different seasons, length of
seasons, average temperatures and types of extreme weather if
appropriate, e.g. hurricanes, typhoons, droughts
3 – wriƩen and spoken means of communicaƟon used by a
parƟcular group of people; this may include parƟcular dialects, and
characterisƟcs of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciaƟon
4 – a parƟcular style of cooking; this will include specialiƟes,
unusual dishes and staple diet of a parƟcular area (e.g. rice,
potatoes, pasta)
5 – things which are considered important to people and
tend to guide their lives (e.g. aƫtudes to family, money, honesty,
nature, animals)
6 – characterisƟc styles of music, theatre, film, painƟng,
opera, literature, etc. and their relaƟve importance and status
7 – parƟcular faith/belief systems, e.g. Islam, including sects
within a parƟcular tradiƟon
8 – unspoken/unwriƩen ways of doing things, e.g. rules of
eƟqueƩe and manners regarding how to eat, socialise, dress, drive,
greet and address each other; punctuality, Ɵpping, the way people
treat each other (male/female/adults/children), etc.
9 – parƟcular naƟonal/public holidays, feast days, fesƟvals
(e.g. carnivals), commemoraƟons, anniversaries and acƟviƟes
associated with and performed on these occasions
10 – birth, marriage, maturity, employment, reƟrement,
death, and how these are treated
11 – the poliƟcal system and type of government and/or
monarchy, the legal system, educaƟon, financial system
12 – characterisƟc style of buildings and interior design; also
common building materials used, raƟo of old/new buildings, the
built environment in general and its appearance
Professor Mancini, InsƟtute of Cultural Studies (ICS)
A time capsule is a sealed container
filled with objects. It is then buried in
the ground and not opened until some
time in the future. The idea behind this is
to communicate to people in the future
about what life is like now.
10
a
Work in small groups and agree
on twelve items to be placed in a time
capsule which will be opened in 200
years’ time. Choose the items which you
think best represent Bahraini culture as it
is today. (The time capsule is the size of a
piece of luggage for a two-week holiday.)
10
b
Join another group and explain the
content of your time capsule and the
reasons for your choices.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
Module 1 (weeks 1 and 2)
